Attachment means for a lock cylinder



March 24, 1970 R. CARLSSON 3,501,933

ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR A LOCK CYLINDER Filed 001;. a, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG./

March 24, 1970 R. CARLSSON 3,501,933

ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR A LOCK CYLINDER Filed Oct. 6. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 U 5 LT a United States Patent 3,501,933 ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR A LOCK CYLINDER Rolf Carlsson, Enebyherg, Sweden, assignor to 0y Wartsila AB, Helsinki, Finland Filed Oct. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 673,468 Claims priority, applicatitir; Finland, Oct. 8, 1966, 2 65 6 Int. ci. Eb 9/04 US. Cl. 70-371 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to an attachment means for the attachment of the lock cylinder of a cylinder lock mechanism to a lock case in such a way that the lock cylinder can later be removed, for instance, for the purpose of replacement.

Attachment means are previously known in which a bolt or a plate acts as an attachment element.

A disadvantage in these constructions is that, in order to replace the lock cylinder it has been necessary to open the door or the shutter in which the lock is located in order to reach the attachment elements, and further the replacement of the lock cylinder has often required the use of special auxiliary means.

The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages. The invention is characterized in that the attachment means comprises an attachment spring having at least two legs and being fitted at the end of the lock cylinder in such a Way that the legs extend substantially in the axial direction of the lock cylinder, but somewhat divergent, so that when the lock cylinder is pushed into its proper place and the lock is operated by a key the legs can be turned into engagement with the front plate of the lock case, thus fixing the lock cylinder axially.

This kind of lock can be used for instance in a safety deposit box of a bank vault.

An advantage of the attachment means according to the invention is that the lock cylinder can be replaced even when the shutter of the box is in the closed position. Further, the replacement can be carried out only by using the proper key and without any auxiliary means. There are no additional openings in the shutter or in the lock case necessary for replacing the lock cylinder other than the opening through which the lock cylinder is inserted, which opening is fully covered When the lock cylinder is in its proper place.

The invention is next described with reference to the attached drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 shows, in section, an embochment of the invention having two lock cylinders.

FIGURE 2 shows the embodiment according to FIG. 1, seen from above and with the front plate of the lock case removed.

FIGURE 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of the embodiment according to FIG. 1.

FIGURE 4 shows another embodiment of the invention having one lock cylinder.

In FIGS. 1-3 there is attached to region 2 of the lock cylinder 1, a two legged attachment spring 3, the legs of which are bent substantially parallel to the sides 5 of 3,501,933 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 lock cylinder 1, but somewhat divergent. The outer ends of the legs are preferably bent somewhat inwards and bear against an inclined surface 9 of a turning bearing ring 8 fitted on the inside 7 of the front plate 6 of the illustrated shutter which is the shutter of a safety deposit box. Inside the shutter there is a lock case formed by a single plate 10 in which a turning lock bolt 14 carried by a socket 11 is journalled. The socket 11 has a central slot 12. The attachment of the lock bolt 14 to the socket 11 is secured by a lock ring 13. The lock further comprises a secondary bolt 25 which in a known way locks the primary lock bolt 14 in locking position. The bolts 14 and 25 are loaded by bolt springs 15 and 24, respectively, which are arranged to urge the bolts against their end positions in closing as well as in opening position. The socket 16 corresponds to the socket 11. The cylinderlock mechanism comprises a lock pin 17, a protecting plate 18, a lifting tumbler 19, disk tumblers 20, an end ring 21, a turning cylinder 22 and an end nut 23. Other types of cylinder lock mechanisms may also be used. The attachment spring 3 turns together with the turning cylinder 22.

When a lock cylinder is to be attached into a shutter of the kind described, it is held in the hand, the key is inserted into the key hole and turned in the opening direction into the end position and then somewhat backwards in the opposite direction. The lock cylinder is then inserted into the opening in the front plate 6 of the shutter. This opening is provided with two cut outs 26 allowing the legs 4 of the attachment spring to pass when the latter is turned in by the key into the said position. The flat end of the lock cylinder 1 hits the slot 12 of the socket 11 in a somewhat different angular position but it is formed in such a way that when it is pushed into the slot the socket 11 turns and consequently also the spring loaded lock bolt 14. Upon pushing the lock cylinder into its completely inserted position which the legs 4 of the attachment spring have left the said cut outs and are free inside the front plate 6, the force of the bolt spring 15 turns the lock bolt 14 and the attachment spring 3 back into their end position in which the ends of the attachment spring 3 engage the front plate 6. When the lock is closed, the attachment spring also turns whereby the attachment of the lock cylinder 1 becomes still more certain.

When the lock cylinder is to be removed, the lock is opened and then the key is turned somewhat back in closing direction, so that the legs 4 of the attachment spring 3 are at the position of the corresponding cut outs in the front plate 6. In this position the lock cylinder can be drawn out.

In order to avoid the eventuality that removal of the lock cylinder takes place too easily, and perhaps by mistake, the legs 4 of the attachment spring 3 are made somewhat divergent. At the backside of the front plate of the shutter, the said bearing ring 8 prevents the legs of the attachment spring from spreading out too much. In order to remove the lock cylinder the right position should be found and the lock cylinder pulled from the key with such a force that the legs are pressed against each other by the border of the hole in the front plate 6 or by the ring 8.

A safety deposit box has usually one or two lock cylinders of which usually at least the one belonging to the customer can be replaced. If there are two lock cylinders one of them is the banks lock cylinder by means of which the bank controls its customers. Only the bank has the key to one of the lock cylinders, and the customer has the key to the other one. Neither party can alone open the lock. In order to prevent misuse, the customers lock cylinder is replaced for every new customer. The customer should be given a brand new lock cylinder packed in a sealed box. The customer himself breaks the seal, takes out the lock cylinder and inserts it in the shutter of his deposit box. Thus, only he himself has the right key and not even the bank knows anything about the combination of this key. It is a common requirement that the banks lock. cylinder should also be replaceable, because the bank might suspect for instance that the banks own key has fallen into the wrong hands.

When a shutter with two lock cylinders is opened, a bank official first opens the banks lock and thereafter the customer opens his own lock. The bank ofiicial can now remove his key and return to his oflice, and the cus tomer can open the shutter and handle his deposits. When he thereafter shuts the shutter and turns the lock into the closed position, it automatically closes by an arrangement known per se in such a way that the presence of the bank official is again necessary before the shutter can be opened.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 there is only one lock cylinder in the lock, and no bearing ring 8.

In spite of the fact that in the above description, safety deposit boxes have been mentioned, it is evident that the attachment means according to the invention can also be used in other types of locks.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment means for the attachment of a key operated cylinder lock mechanism to a casing in which the cylinder lock mechanism comprises an outer cylinder body surrounding an inner cylinder turnable from a closing position to an opening position by means of said key, said attachment means comprising a number of attachment legs locking said cylinder lock mechanism axially with respect to said casing, said legs being fixed to said inner cylinder inside said casing, and following the turning movement of said inner cylinder, said casing being provided with an opening for said cylinder lock mechanism and means for allowing said legs to pass through said opening in a position between respective positions in which said legs correspond to said closing and opening positions of said turnable inner cylinder.

2. An attachment means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for allowing said legs to pass through said opening are positioned near the one end position thereof corresponding to said opening position of said inner cylinder.

3. An attachment means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said legs are part of an attachment spring fixed to said inner cylinder and said legs extend along said cylinder lock mechanism in a divergent relationship.

4. An attachment means as claimed in claim 3 wherein said legs have end portions inclined inwardly against said cylinder lock mechanism.

5. An attachment means as claimed in claim 1 comprising a ring arranged around said opening inside said casing and surrounding the end portions of said legs.

6. An attachment means as claimed in claim 5 wherein said ring is a turnable bearing ring.

7. An attachment means as claimed in claim 5 wherein said ring has an inclined surface pressing the end portion of said legs inwardly when said cylinder lock mechanism is pulled out of said casing.

8. An attachment means as claimed in claim .1 wherein said cylinder lock mechanism comprises an end portion covering said means for allowing said legs to pass through said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1936 Pentka l27 9/1937 Douglas 248-27 US. Cl. X.R. 70-451 

